India vs New Zealand: Harshal Patel was unbelievable, says Gautam Gambhir after India pacer takes 2 wickets on debut

Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir was extremely impressed with fast bowler Harshal Patel’s performance in his maiden performance for the national team in the ongoing second T20 international against New Zealand in Ranchi on Friday.

Harshal Patel took the wickets of Glenn Phillips (34) and Daryl Mitchell (31) to finish with figures of 2 for 25 from his 4 overs after getting his maiden India cap from former fast bowler Ajit Agarkar.

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“Harshal Patel was unbelievable. It never looked like he was playing his first game. Very impressed with his effort. That is what 8-10 years of first-class cricket and a fabulous IPL season can do to you.

“You play your first game for India, you know your game much better. You are no more a rookie and if you have done that in IPL, which is high-quality cricket, when you have had that kind of success, you come here and feel you can continue doing the same thing.

“That is what Harshal has done tonight. Really happy for him because he has delivered on the big stage today,” Gambhir said on Star Sports.

Harshal got rewarded for his stellar performance in IPL 2021 in which he had finished as the most successful bowler with 32 wickets in 15 matches. He match Dwayne Bravo’s record for the most wickets in an IPL season during his season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

“It’s a great feeling playing for the country. I love the game and the ultimate goal for any player is to play for the country, it’s an honour, it’s a privilege and I’m not going to take it for granted.

“Rahul (Dravid) sir has always told me that once you are done with the preparations, you gotta go out there and enjoy the game. I’ve reached here on the back of a good IPL, so it’s a satisfying moment for me,” Patel said on Star Sports.